| 1996 ARIA Music Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 30 September 1996 (1996-09-30) | |||
| Venue | Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Sydney,New South Wales | |||
| Most wins | You Am I (6) | |||
| Most nominations | Your Am I (9) | |||
| Website | ariaawards | |||
| Television/radio coverage | ||||
| Network | Network Ten | |||
| ||||
The10thAustralian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as theARIA Music Awards or simplyThe ARIAs) was held on 30 September 1996 at theSydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.[1][2] Presenters distributed 28 awards with the big winner for the year wasYou Am I gaining six awards.[1][3]
In addition to previous categories anOutstanding Achievement Award was presented toSilverchair, which acknowledged "[their] conquering world charts with the single 'Tomorrow' and the debut album albumfrogstomp."[3] ASpecial Achievement Award was presented toSlim Dusty.[1][3] TheARIA Hall of Fame inducted:Australian Crawl andHorrie Dargie.[1] Australian Crawl's founding guitaristBrad Robinson, was unable to attend; he was hospitalised withlymphoma (diagnosed three years earlier) and died two weeks after the ceremony.[4][5] It was also the final Australian performance byINXS with original frontmanMichael Hutchence before his death 14 months later.
Australian music journalist, Anthony O'Grady, observed, "It was the last of the Bigger-Than-Ben-Hur Award nights (for the foreseeable future). Over 4,000 (the largest crowd ever and 8 times the number at the first Awards) flooded into the [venue]... [with a] repast at over 200 tables supplied by a dozen kitchens."[3]Deni Hines won a trophy forBreakthrough Artist – Single for "It's Alright". Her entire acceptance speech was:
I don't know, um, thanks and grouse![6]
— Deni Hines, 30 September 1996
The ARIA Awards ceremony was hosted by American musiciansHarry Connick Jr. andChris Isaak.[3] Presenters and performers were:
Final nominees for awards are shown in plain, with winners inbold.
TheHall of Fame inductees were: